Hollie laughed at the witty wordplay and tomfoolery between Kyle and his friends.
Shane and Ian were both just as tall and muscular as Kyle, and they shared the same raucous humor, but they looked entirely different. Shane had dark hair and eyes, whereas Ian had sandy hair and bright amber eyes.
From their rowdy interactions and candid conversation, Hollie could tell that the three men were as close as brothers. There was genuine respect and affection between them, and they were open and frank with one another.
She envied Kyle. She felt a little sorry for Kyle when his friends interrogated him relentlessly, yet she envied him for having people who took such an active interest in his life. Shane and Ian cared for him, and wanted to know what was going on in his life.
Hollie sighed. She had no one she could call her friend or family. If something good happened to her, no one shared her joy and celebrated with her. But if something bad happened to her, there were many people who would gloat over her misfortune and humiliation and who took great pleasure in rubbing salt into her wound.
She was surrounded by liars and backstabbers in the pack. The pack wasn’t her family. But it was all she had and all she knew.
Sitting in Kyle’s warm, comfortable house and listening to the easy, good-humored banter and ribbing between Kyle and his friends made her realize just how cold, forced and artificial all the interactions and relationships in the Black Blade pack were.
She had no true ally in the pack. Everyone looked out for themselves, and looked for opportunities to do someone in. It was a pack held together by fear, ambition and lies.
Hollie wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling very cold, tired and alone. She stood apart from Kyle and his friends, feeling like the outcast she was.
“Hollie...”
She jerked her head up when she heard Kyle call her name very softly. Kyle was standing in front of her, searching her face worriedly. “Hey, are you all right? Is something wrong? Is it something they said?” Kyle tilted his head towards Shane and Ian who were lounging on the couch in the living room.
His two friends pretended to be flipping through some magazines, but Hollie knew that they were listening in to the conversation.
Hollie forced a smile to her face. “I’m okay. I...I guess I’m just tired.”
“I’ll show you to your room,” Kyle said. “You should rest...”
“I’m okay, really,” Hollie said. “I’d like to get to know you and your friends better. And...” She touched her neck and gave a lopsided smile. “I think you would like to know more about me. I know you have questions, but you’re too polite to ask. I could be a psychopath for all you know.”
Kyle smirked. “The Black Blade pack is made up of psychos and perverts. But you’re not one of them.”
He led her to the living room, and Shane and Ian got to their feet. “Wait,” Hollie said when she saw that the two men were about to leave. They probably wanted to give her and Kyle some privacy. “Stay, Please. I...I think you have a right to know about me. You’re Kyle’s brothers. You’ve never met me before, and all of a sudden, here I am with Kyle’s mark on my neck. I know you’re concerned...”
“Yes. We are,” Ian answered frankly, plopping back down on the couch.
Shane gave Hollie a nod and grabbed Ian by the collar. “Come and help me make the coffee,” he ordered. “You want some ice cream, Hollie?”
She nodded and smiled gratefully at Shane. As Shane and Ian busied themselves in the kitchen, Kyle sat down with her and said, “You don’t have to share anything that you’re not comfortable sharing. I trust you, Hollie.”
“The truth must be told,” she said firmly. “The leaders of the Black Blade pack got away with everything because all the pack members stayed silent. They got away with theft and murder, and no one did anything. I want to tell you guys everything. It’s the right thing to do.”
When Shane and Ian returned with large, steaming mugs of coffee and a tub of ice cream for Hollie, they sat and just chatted amiably about movies and some happenings around town. They kept the topics light and casual, and just kept the conversation flowing until Hollie was ready to talk.
She glanced at Kyle and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Clearing his throat, Kyle told his friends how he came upon Hollie in the forest earlier in the evening.
When he stopped mid-sentence, Hollie knew that it was up to her to tell her story. Kyle respected her privacy and he would never say anything to hurt or humiliate her.
She took a deep breath and said without flinching, “Jasper was going to rape and kill me.”
She went on stoically, telling Kyle and his friends about everything that went on in the Black Blade pack. She wasn’t going to protect the guilty with her silence.
When she finished, Shane and Ian cursed viciously and swore vengeance on the entire pack.
“Fucking animals!” Ian snarled.
“They’re worse than animals,” Shane said, cracking his knuckles. “Just say the word. We’ll tear Jasper and his minions from limb to limb!”
“We will help you avenge your mate, Kyle,” Ian said. “Hollie, thank you for telling us everything, for being so honest with us. You’re Kyle’s mate, so you’re like a sister to us. You can count on us. We’re here for you.” Ian pounded his huge fist into his chest.
“I’m not his mate...” Hollie began, but nobody seemed to be listening to her.
The three men were too busy snarling and swearing. They were outraged on her behalf, and strangely, the ferocity of their anger comforted and validated her. No one had ever felt angry for her. No one had ever felt anything for her.
For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel alone. She felt both sad and happy at the same time. So much was missing from her life. And now, she had her first taste of true friendship. She wanted more.
She wanted so much more.